Deception
by fireisbrightfireisclean
Summary: Caroline once again becomes Klaus bait but she soon finds that escaping her growing feelings may be harder then she expected. Will she stick with Tyler and his plan to free the hybrids or will she succumb to her emotions and take a chance on the Original Hybrid? Will deviate slightly after plot points from the show have been addressed. Dark!Klaus and Rated M in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** I am writing this in response to Episode 5 of Season 4 and to that very weak excuse that Tyler had for his bond with Hayley and because the show seems to be going in a "let's fool Klaus and kill him" direction that I am NOT happy with. This is how I see this playing out in my head. Obviously anything that hasn't happened will be my own ideas. I do not own TVD. This is my first attempt at publishing fanfiction, please let me know what you think :)

**Chapter 1:**

"Care, are you sure you can handle this?" Tyler asked, knowing what he wanted of his girlfriend had to be hard for her to stomach.

"Yes. I'm not some helpless girl, Tyler. I can handle this. If this is what you want me to do." Caroline replied, going along with his plan but still not fully comprehending _why_ he really felt the need to do it.

Then the nagging voice in her head questioned his bond with that bitchy brunette and wondered why Tyler had kept her in the dark about it the whole time. She brushed off the doubt and put on her bravest face, refusing to succumb to the insecurities that used to plague her before she became a vampire. She was different now. _She was strong_.

They continued laying out their plan of attack. Caroline and Tyler were going to pretend to break up, convince Klaus that he had an opportunity with Caroline and once he was fully immersed in his courtship of her, Tyler and Hayley would wrangle up the hybrids one by one and help them break the sire bond.

Caroline's job was simple. Keep Klaus distracted. Act like she was starting to have feelings for him. Pretend like she could stomach his affections. Tyler made it clear that she should do whatever it took to make Klaus believe what was happening. That admission from her formerly possessive and insanely jealous boyfriend made her cringe. He was basically okay with whoring her out and she wondered if his relationship with Hayley didn't, in some way, affect his sudden change in perspective.

XXXXX

Two weeks into their pretend break-up, Caroline was ready to face Klaus, she had practiced her speech in front of her mirror countless times and was finally sure she could pull it off without flinching. She hadn't really seen Tyler all that much because he had been spending all his time with Hayley, finalizing plans and tying up loose-ends. It almost felt like they were, in fact, broken up.

She shrugged off her doubts and insecurities again - _she had been doing that a lot lately_ - and made her way to the Mikaelson mansion. For some reason, Klaus had been keeping his distance since the news of her newly-minted single status broke so she had to take matters into her own hands. She thought for sure he would have been at her doorstep 2 seconds after he found out but he hadn't and she couldn't figure out why.

"Klaus?" she said with trepidation as she entered his home without so much as a knock. She followed the sound of classical music that filtered softly through the air and the smell of paint wafting from his drawing room.

"To what do I owe the pleasure, love?" he drawled, keeping his back to her as she entered the room.

"I… um, had to talk to you." She squeaked softly in reply.

"About?" he said softly as he wiped his hands and turned to face her.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she offered sadly, turning her gaze to the floor.

"About?" he said again, confused at her vague question.

"About Tyler. About Hayley. You knew and you didn't tell me. I had no idea what was going on. Why he was acting so weird. You should have told me so I didn't look like such a fool." She looked up, anger in her visage as the words she rehearsed fell perfectly from her coral-colored lips.

"That was not for me to tell you, love. Tyler should have been man enough to tell you himself." He paused. "Besides, would you really have believed _me_?"

He stood up with his hands behind his back and circled her, like a tiger waiting to pounce on his prey. The sudden change in his demeanor scared her a little but she pushed the thoughts aside.

"Why did you come here, Caroline?" he asked as he inched closer to her. "Don't tell me you're actually upset that I didn't tell you. Don't you have other people you can talk to about your heartbreak?"

His voice was cold and blunt; the charming, slickness that normally laced his beautiful accent was gone. She thought for sure that he figured out what she was doing.

"I… I…" this part she did not rehearse, she had to improvise, "I thought you… fancied me? I thought you would jump at the chance now that Tyler was out of the picture, I was confused. I don't know why I came… I should… Go."

She turned on her heel abruptly and was about to speed away when he grabbed her arm gently and pulled her back.

"I do fancy you, Caroline. I wanted to give you space, let you heal a little… I told you I could wait a century for you to show up at my doorstep. What's 2 weeks in the grand scheme of things, love?" he paused, changing his tone, "You obviously know nothing about me." He added, almost sad in his reply.

"You don't exactly show much of yourself. Other than the evil, manipulative side." She countered.

"I told you that you could get to know me." He replied, pulling her closer so that he could look into her eyes.

She turned away, the sudden electric jolt from the eye contact shaking her façade.

"Well... this tension is all a little too heavy for my liking. Would you like to go for a walk with me?" Klaus asked softly, noticing her sudden bout of discomfort and motioning out to the gardens of his estate.

XXXXX

Caroline called Tyler as soon as she got home, eager to give him a minute by minute synopsis of what had happened with Klaus. She got his voicemail, twice. She texted him several times before she took a shower and 2 hours later, still no response. She was starting to get agitated. He was taking the whole fake break-up thing way too far. Angry and upset, she decided to just go to bed.

XXXXX

Klaus was unusually chipper as he walked up the driveway of the Forbes home in the middle of the night, velvet box in hand. The events that unfolded between him and Caroline earlier in the day still played in his head like a blissful symphony of memory. The way she looked as she softly questioned him, the close proximity of their bodies as they walked the grounds around his home, the way she laughed at his sad attempts at jokes. Now that he was able to experience those things with her, they would forever be tethered to the fibers of his mind.

As he quietly entered her room through her open window he was taken aback by her beautiful sleeping form, cocooned in the sheets, her face serene and calm. He placed the box beside her phone on the nightstand and gazed at her longingly as he softly brushed a stray tendril of hair from her face. She flinched slightly but smiled into his touch. He yearned to know who or what she was thinking of. He imagined what it would have been like to use his powers to invade her dreams but he decided against it, not wanting to win her that way.

After centuries of compelling women to do as he pleased, he finally found one that he wanted to fall for him by the strength of her volition. He didn't want to compel her or force her. He wanted her to want him just as intensely as he wanted her. He was tempted to kiss her as she slept, wanted nothing more than to touch her porcelain skin with his fingertips but he resisted the overwhelming lure, choosing instead to return home.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

Caroline woke the next day feeling happy, refreshed and, oddly, contented. She knew she fell asleep upset and angry but, for some reason, she rose that morning with the antithesis of that mood. She absentmindedly reached for her phone and checked her messages. She got one from Tyler. 'Finally!' she thought to herself.

_Good work. _

That was all he texted her. No "Good Night." No "I love you". No "See you later, babe." Her happiness melted into her infuriated emotions again and she wanted to chuck her phone into the wall. Instead, she slammed the piece of metal and plastic onto her bedside table. Her fingers grazed velvet as she moved her hand away and she placed the box on her lap, studying it suspiciously, knowing who it came from.

There was a sketch of her smiling, with the gardens of Klaus' home serving as a background and a little note on the bottom saying "Thank you for your company. Klaus." She remembered the moment from the day before, when they walked around the grounds of his palatial estate and actually had a really long and, surprisingly, enjoyable conversation. She couldn't believe how he could memorize her face from just a couple of hours of interaction. It made her feel a little warm inside and she couldn't help but smile a little.

She was about to close the box when a couple of shiny blue baubles caught her eye. It was a beautiful pair of earrings; each comprised of a light blue gemstone dangling at the end of a delicate string of intertwined diamonds and pearls. They almost looked like something a 20's flapper would have worn but they seemed new and untouched, she knew immediately that he must have bought them, knowing she wouldn't have been happy with something from his stash of stolen relics. She closed the box and shook her head, she couldn't fall for these things, she had to stick to the plan.

XXXXX

The next couple of months played out the same, exact way. She would spend time with Klaus, just talking about anything and everything. They would walk around the vast expanse of his property, watch stupid movies that he had never heard of before and he even attempted to discover her artistic side by teaching her how to draw and paint.

Then, on the morning after they had their interactions, she would wake to find another box with another drawing and another piece of jewelry inside it. At first, the thought of him sneaking into her room in the middle of the night creeped her out but slowly she forgot about that fact and just looked forward to opening his little presents as soon as she woke up. As much as she hated to, she kept returning the expensive looking trinkets but, time and again, he would replace it with something new.

She would always keep the drawings though. After 2 months of spending time with him, she had amassed a great collection. All on the same paper, done with the same charcoal pencil, just different facial expressions and backgrounds, always depicting a moment from the day they spent together. As much as she hated to admit it, those little sketches were the best presents she had ever gotten and she actually cherished them. They exhibited a different side to Klaus, one that she was slowly beginning to appreciate, whether she wanted to admit it or not.

Tyler and Hayley were still off in their own little hybrid-saving world but the more she spent time with Klaus, the more she didn't really care. She went from calling Tyler after each 'date' with Klaus to sending him short text updates to not even thinking about him as she got home. She kept re-iterating to herself that she was part of a plan and was doing a good job but soon she couldn't distinguish if the emotions that were manifesting in her mind were contrived or real. She always tried to convince herself that it was the former, but as time moved along, that was feeling more and more like a lie.

XXXXX

She would never announce when she was coming to see him, she always just showed up at his house and waltzed in, usually finding him in his drawing room. At first, there were always hybrids flittering about them but slowly they started to dissipate until, eventually, it was just her and Klaus in that giant mansion. She asked about them once and he merely told her that he had no use from them when she was around. This made her smile on the inside. She thought she was happy because it meant that Tyler and Hayley could free them but, subconsciously, she knew it was because she got to be alone with Klaus.

One day, she showed up to an empty home. His scent didn't linger in the air, so she was about to leave when she saw a note attached to the easel in his drawing room.

_Caroline, love, I had to attend to some business. I will be back in a week. Klaus_

She couldn't comprehend why, but this saddened her. She had become accustomed to spending time with him and the thought of not seeing him for more than a couple of days hurt her more then she thought it would. Her conscience told her not to, but knowing she was all alone in the house, she couldn't help but snoop.

She rummaged carefully through his sketches and paintings but found nothing too exciting. She searched through his kitchen and living room and all over the bottom portion of his house, but still came up empty handed. Then it hit her, to search the one room she had never seen before... his bedroom. The thought almost scared her. She had been getting close to him, but that almost felt _too_ intimate. _Too familiar_.

With a deep breath, she entered through the heavy, double-doors and felt apprehension as she made her first step inside. She slowly crept around the large expanse and grazed her fingers over the surfaces, opening drawers and finding nothing but neatly folded clothes and well-organized belongings. 'He had a little OCD' she laughed to herself as she entered the walk-in closet and saw everything arranged by color.

Noticing a large, antique-looking chest on the floor, she opened it and found something surprising. Boxes of jewelry. All of the jewelry he had given her but she had returned to him. She wondered why he kept them and didn't just return them all to whatever store he bought them from. There was also an old newspaper clipping about her Miss Mystic Falls win from the year before. She instantly remembered when she told him about it during the Mikaelson ball and he simply replied with an "I know" and look of pure, unadulterated longing in his eyes.

She sat there on the floor of his closet, clutching the newspaper clipping as all of the events of the past 2 months and all of the memories of their previous interactions flooded her mind:

_The night he gave her his blood. _

_The night of the Mikaelson ball. _

_That evening on the bench outside the Mystic Grill. _

_The day he saved her from Alaric. _

_The day he saved her from the council and she almost ravaged him when he was in Tyler's body but he stopped her from going too far. _

They all played in her head, binding themselves with the new memories she had recently created. She suddenly realized that he must have had _real_ feelings for her. She wasn't some part of an evil master plan he was concocting. She wasn't a pawn in his endgame. She wasn't being used, like she seemed to be in every relationship she had ever been in, including the one she was currently having with Tyler. He just _genuinely_ must have liked her.

The insight hit her like a freight train. She felt guilty, she felt confused. She felt like she was betraying his trust when all he was doing was trying to woo her. She felt sick to her stomach. She knew what he was capable of, knew that he was evil but she also knew that the side of Klaus that only she saw… _was real_. He was capable of caring and she didn't know what to do with herself. She knew her loyalty was to Tyler, he was her boyfriend, after all. At least… _she thought he was_. But at the same time, she didn't want to hurt Klaus. She couldn't hurt Klaus.

Then another realization - _an even more sobering one_ - hit her even harder then the first. She had slowly come to develop feelings of her own for him. She had been thinking about Tyler and missing Tyler less and less but when she recognized that she wouldn't see Klaus for a week, she didn't rejoice like she should have, she felt sad and anxious.

All of the feelings that she had been trying so desperately to quell beneath layers of denial and walls of defense were threatening to explode from her body. She couldn't renounce them to herself anymore, couldn't relegate them to her acting skills. This was real and it was happening.

She threw everything back to the way it was and sped out of their as quickly as she could, not wanting to feel close to him. She decided that she was going to spend that week attempting to rid herself of her growing feelings for Klaus. She was going to do whatever it took to not think of him. Not to miss him.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:**

Thank you to anyone that followed this story. It's my first time attempting to do fanfiction so it probably isn't as good as the other klaroline stories on here but I am appreciative of any kind of postive reaction none the less. This chapter is much longer than the other 2 and pushes the story along so I hope you guys enjoy it. Please review so I know if I should continue this. I would really appreciate any kind of constructive criticism.

Also, did anyone else die from feels after last night's episode? OMG! Klaroline and Delena happening all over my TV! Christmas came early, guys! I am even contemplating writing in a double date scenario in the future. LOL. I am on tumblr too if anyone has that. fireisbrightfireisclean

**Chapter 3:**

Klaus trudged through the soft snow and mud that lined the forest floor. He sensed the werewolf commune hidden deep within the Adirondacks was close. He could smell them. He always wondered why werewolves were so unhygienic, so animalistic, one could be aware of them from a mile away from their smell alone.

He clasped at his last bag of Elena's doppelganger blood as he got closer, knowing that he might be ambushed as soon as he got within the parameters of the werewolf territory.

"What do we have here? I don't remember ordering lunch?" came a voice from behind him.

Klaus flashed to where the irritatingly over-confident voice came from and wrapped his long, agile fingers around the sinewy neck. Another thing about werewolves, they were cocky sons of bitches, arrogant without any real skill-set to back up their self-assurance. "I'm afraid you are sorely mistaken, mate." Klaus replied in disgust.

The tall, muscular man's eyes glazed over with fear as he realized who he had just insulted. From Klaus' numerous trips siring hybrids all over the country, he had become a sort of legend to the werewolf packs. They all knew about him and were well aware that one day, he would arrive to their little make-shift communities to make more for his army.

"You're Klaus Mikaelson. Forgive me. I didn't know." The man's voice trembled through his quivering lips.

Klaus quite enjoyed his notoriety, it made things much easier and more streamlined for him to accomplish his task. Those that were willing to be sired freely drank of his blood, were killed and then drank the doppelganger's iron-rich serum to complete the process. For those that refused to be sired, of which the numbers were growing less and less, things were not as easy. Klaus gave them 2 options, be sired or die. Needless to say, the majority chose the former option.

For Klaus' part, he was a benevolent ruler. He would leave his little hybrid armies to live their lives as they chose, provided they came to wherever he needed them, should the need arise. Klaus would only ever take the top tier hybrids with him: the fittest, strongest, most cunning members of the packs.

This trip went much easier then planned. Out of a commune of about 30 werewolves, all but one lone female werewolf refused to be sired. She pleaded for mercy, pleaded to just be set free, promising to leave and never come back. The inner voice inside Klaus' head told him to just rip out her heart and call it a day but another voice, a new one that was soft and gentle pulled at his dead heart strings, willing him to let her go. That voice sounded a lot like Caroline's. In fact, he did not have this little conscience until he started spending time with her. She was changing him and the strange thing was… He didn't actually mind, not that he would ever admit it.

He let the lowly wolf-girl go, internalizing that she wouldn't have made a very strong member of his army anyway. It wasn't because of Caroline, he told himself. It was because he didn't need some whiny little bitch hampering the morale of his new pack.

Klaus returned to Mystic Falls a few days later, happy at his latest accomplishment. The new members of his hybrid army were the best yet. Something about the air or the environment in the Adirondack Mountains created a more agile, strong and resilient pack. He had used the last of Elena's blood, so he was glad that he at least got to use it on a worthy group of individuals.

Klaus entered his bedroom with a couple of boxes of items that he had gotten Caroline on his side trip to Manhattan and was instantly greeted by the faint scent of white tea and ginger. Caroline's scent, so fresh and bright and utterly intoxicating. Though it barely lingered in the air, he knew that she had been in his room. He wondered what she must have seen, what she must have rifled through and he smiled. If it were anyone other then Caroline, their heart would have already been ripped from the hollows of their chest and thrown across the floor, but he thought it was adorable that she snooped on him. He thought it even more amusing that she thought he wouldn't find out.

"Naïve, little, impulsive thing." He whispered into the air as he placed the boxes on his bed and got changed, anticipating that she would come to see him at any moment.

XXXXX

She didn't come by that day and she didn't come by the next day either. In fact, 5 days after he had arrived from New York and she was still a no show. Klaus felt irritated and lonely, wanting nothing more than to be near her. He had gotten familiarized with her pretty face peaking through his drawing room door without so much as a knock. Her lithe, agile body gracefully flittering about his home like she owned the place. Her laughter and sweet voice reverberating through the stillness of the cold surroundings like a beacon of warmth. He wanted her around and he missed her company but he still didn't want to push her so he decided to keep his distance and waited for her to come around.

It would take 2 weeks before she would eventually show up in his home again. Breezing in with the cold January air. "How was your trip?" she asked nonchalantly, with a different tone in her voice, like she was hiding something from him.

"I got back a long time ago, love. _I already forgot_." He replied indignantly, not bothering to hide his distaste at how long she had stayed away from him.

"I meant to come earlier, just busy with school and stuff." She supplied.

Truth was, she was unsuccessful in her attempt to rid her mind of her feelings for him and she was scared to be around him. She hadn't really been talking to Tyler all that much and they never spoke about the plan, so she didn't even know if she needed to continue her charade but, once again, she was drawn in. Whether Tyler still needed her to or not. Like a moth to a flame, she couldn't keep her distance, no matter how hard she tried.

"Yes, yes. School. Such a trivial thing. Never understood why you or Stefan or my dear sister, for that matter, even bother with such a thing." He replied coldly. "The doppelganger vamp… I understand because she is so full of denial and is so full of drama that she kind of belongs in high school. But you… it's beneath you."

"Are you mad at me or something?" she asked, sensing the repugnance in the tone of his usually slick and charming voice.

"No, love. Why? Should I be?" he said, standing from his leather couch and making his way towards her.

"Spending time with you is not the only thing on my plate, you know? I have the Miss Mystic Falls pageant coming up soon and I need to help with that. Yes, I do have school and I intend to graduate, vampire or not. And…" she trailed off, not knowing what else to say.

Immediately softening at the sound of her voice, he said "I apologize. I don't mean to be curt with you. I suppose I just wanted to see you and I was getting used to our little tête-à-tête so it was just a little weird for you not to be around. Forgive me for being such a child."

"It's ok" she replied softly, fussing with the hem of her shirt nervously.

"You seem different. _Guarded._ Is everything alright?" he said, noticing her change in demeanor from the last time they had seen each other. When she didn't respond, he couldn't help but tease her a little, to ease the mood. "Does it have something to do with what you may have found as you snooped through my bedroom?" he cocked an eyebrow and smirked at her.

"I... took advantage of the fact that I was alone in your house. Sue me." she replied confidently, not wanting to make him aware of her embarrasment.

He closed the space between them and grazed the side of her face gently with his fingers. She instinctively closed her eyes in response to the sensation and pulled away abruptly as the tingling began to proliferate through the nerves in her skin.

"Walk?" she mumbled, trying to stop whatever it was that was about to happen.

XXXXX

They languidly meandered through the snow-covered gardens and found themselves on the outskirts of his property. Caroline had never been that far before and was amazed at how beautiful the little, hidden pond was. The grounds were not as manicured and pristine as the ones surrounding the perimeter of the home but they were beautiful in their own wild, disheveled way. They sat in a gazebo over-looking the pond and continued their conversation.

Like he always did when they had these long exchanges, he spoke about the different decades that he had lived through, the famous people he met through the timeline of history and she would listen intently, enthralled by the plethora of life experiences the man had had. This time, much to Caroline's delight, he decided to talk about the time he met Marilyn Monroe.

His musings would take her to a different era, a different universe that she never imagined she would know about. He was so eloquent and well-spoken, so cultured and worldly. Everything that she had no idea of, he was the direct embodiment. She admired him and was jealous of him and felt a longing to experience everything that he had experienced. Listening to him speak about his life was like being at a live reading of some kind of epic novel.

When she was with Damon, they rarely had real conversations and he was always condescending of anything she had to say. When she was with Matt, they spoke about their sad upbringings and it was a constant barrage of depressing. When she was with Tyler, they talked about random, superficial things in between having sex. They perpetually just had sex. That was his only way of communicating; through rough, fast, not very intimate sex.

With Klaus, it was completely different. He painted a world for her with his words, transported her to different realities. As much as she listened to his exciting stories, he paid attention when she spoke about her life, her goals, her dreams. Her modest upbringing and 18 years could never compare to his millennia of experience but he acted as if it was just as interesting.

He would clutch to all her words intently, as if wrapping them in his memory, wanting to gather every bit of knowledge about her as he could. Being with Klaus was amusing to Caroline. And different. She still wanted to guard herself and pretend like her walls were not crumbling with every flick of his eloquent tongue, but the will to keep her resolve was disintegrating just as fast as those walls were. She could keep up the witty, slightly snide remarks and little insults to his character but it seemed to only excite him more. It was if she could do no wrong in his eyes.

XXXXX

The next morning, there were not one but two boxes waiting for her, one large one and another smaller one sitting on top of it. She opened the large one first and saw a beautiful, green and gold lace dress and a note that read:

_Will you allow me the pleasure of escorting you this year? Klaus_

Caroline sat on the bed, bemused but smiling from ear to ear. She opened the other box and got another sketch of her enthralled-looking face with the winter covered trees behind her and a little note gracing the edge of it, like always.

_Thank you for listening so intently. Klaus._

The necklace inside took her completely by surprise. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. It was gold with emerald and topaz gems laid out in a pattern that almost matched the lace in the dress. As much as she really wanted to keep this one, she had to release it from her grasp because it looked more expensive then the mortgage on her mother's home.

As much as she really tried to get him out of her head and despite all the energy she expended trying to keep herself from falling for him, she couldn't suppress the feelings much longer and they lingered just below the surface. She itched to tell someone of her predicament but knew that no one would understand and everyone would judge. She was also still technically in a relationship, so that complicated matters further. And… most importantly, it was Klaus. The name should have had her running in the opposite direction, but instead it pulled her in.

She was no longer just playing a part in a plan. She was actually spending time with him because she enjoyed it. She was doing it for herself and that scared her more than anything. She decided that she had to keep her distance again. She had to fill her thoughts with anything and everything other than Klaus and his kind words and his gifts and his drawings.

XXXXX

After another lengthy period of not seeing Caroline and without an answer to his invitation, Klaus decided that he had to be a man of action. As much as he didn't want to push her, he couldn't stand waiting around not knowing what was going on between them. When they spent time together, she seemed to be exhibiting feelings for him but lately, with her deliberate attempts at keeping her distance, he didn't know what to think.

The death of Connor, the vampire hunter, brought his plans for the search for the vampire cure to a stand-still. He still needed to figure out a way to find the rest of the map but without a member of the Five… that was virtually impossible. Without a real plan of action, he hadn't much to do so when he was away from Caroline, the loneliness and separation were just impossible to escape.

He didn't have his hybrids around him all that much because he didn't really have a need for them so he was still blissfully unaware that Tyler and Hayley were breaking sire-bonds left and right. A few of his hybrids refused to go along with the revolt because the thought of turning over a hundred times was too much to take so there was a little rift forming between the two groups.

Caroline hadn't been let in on the plan in quite some time and Tyler never thought anything of her because he assumed that, since he didn't see Klaus, she must have been doing her job. He was so caught up in his goal and so caught up with Hayley that he didn't even realize that he was losing Caroline forever. She was slipping from his grasp and he didn't even care.

When the need to see her finally took over, Klaus made his way to the Forbes home. She wasn't there so he waited in her room for her to arrive. Deciding to give her a taste of her own nosey medicine, he snooped around, rifling through her things for something juicy.

He probed inquisitively through the drawers of her dresser and felt an instant jolt of electricity run through his body and straight to his manhood as he lifted various skimpy, lace under things from one of them. He imagined what she must have looked like with nothing but those things on and he growled lustfully into the silent air.

The other drawers were not nearly as interesting, housing clothes and various trinkets. Then he stumbled upon a large, leather-bound sketchbook that piqued his interest. It was hidden beneath layers of clothes so it must have been important and he couldn't quell the need to investigate further.

He opened it and saw the first sketch he ever drew of her, stuck to the page with glue. He remembered that night all too well. She had been the first person to ever put him in his place without flinching, without fear, he knew that night that she was one to be _wooed_. He knew that night that his feelings for her would only grow.

He fingered through each page and found each of the drawings he had done of her, all glued to the pages in sequence with a date underneath each one. It was like a living timeline of their encounters and he smiled as each turn of the page elicited memories and emotions from the depths of his being. He smiled because he knew she must have felt something in return. She may have pretended to feel otherwise, but he knew there was a spark there.

Hearing her coming in through the front door, he quickly put the book back and settled himself comfortably on her bed. When she entered her room, she almost fell over at the sight of him, gracefully lounging on her bed as if he belonged there.

"Hello, love." He smirked.

"Klaus! What are you doing here? How long have you been here?" she replied, aghast and flustered.

"I came by to see you, of course. You still haven't given me an answer so I thought I would see what the impediment was."

"I… uh…" she said, resting back on her wall, wanting to keep a little space between them.

After a long silence, she pushed off the wall, retrieved the necklace he gave her from inside her closet and handed it back to him.

"Here, I can't accept this. It looks way too expensive and… I just can't" she said softly.

"Ok, if that is what you want. How about the dress, do you want to give that back as well?" he replied, a sadness tinting his usually confident voice.

"Um, actually… No, I am keeping that. I have to have something to wear to the pageant." She paused, knowing what she was about to say was going to change the course of their quasi-relationship-friendship thing. "And you have to get a shirt and tie to match."

He smiled like a child at her words and he sauntered over to where she was standing. He moved closer and closer, but she kept moving back as he moved forward. Eventually her back was pressed against the wall again and she had nowhere left to go. His face was so close to hers that the warmth of his sweet breath tickled the redness that was forming on her milky cheeks. Her lips parted ever-so-slightly, subconsciously allowing him to proceed with what she knew he was about to do.

Her skin tingled, her breath hitched in her throat and the thought of his luscious, pink lips touching hers was almost to much to bear. After months of sharing each other's time, countless hours spent merely talking, flirtation eventually permeating their demeanor and almost-touches leaving her wanting more, he was finally going to kiss her. The thought had crossed her mind on numerous occasions but she always willed those ideas away, refusing to believe that she was capable of doing that with him.

He touched her face softly, gently, pushing her hair away as he stared into her eyes, directly into her soul. "You are so beautiful, Caroline." He whispered into her ear, sending shivers down her spine. He pulled his face away and was about to press his lips to hers when the sound of her mother's squad car wrestled them from their moment of imminent bliss.

"Fuck" they both cursed in unison at the interruption of their almost-kiss. Klaus freed her face from his grasp, placed a chaste kiss on her hand and whispered, "Next time, love" as he retreated to her window and jumped out without a sound. Caroline, still pressed against the wall, clutched at her shirt and squeezed her thighs together, trying to suppress the aching need she felt as she watched him leave.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:**

Thank you to all of you that favorited, followed or reviewed my story. I really appreciate the kind words and positive feedback. Just a warning, the beginning of this chapter contains a little smutty goodness, so if you are part of the 1% of Klaroline shippers that aren't into that, please steer clear of the paragraphs in italics :)

**Chapter 4:**

3 hours later and Caroline was still awake, tossing and turning in her bed, unable to let her mind stop wandering. She was frustrated. Sexually frustrated. And the almost kiss from Klaus did nothing to help matters. It had been a long time since she had had any kind of physical contact with Tyler. A little over 3 months or… 95 days, if you wanted to be _exact_.

Strange as it was, she didn't usually think about Tyler in that way when they weren't in each other's company. They may have had sex like rabbits but afterwards, when she wasn't with him, she never felt flush with memories of their sexual escapades. She never lounged on her bed imagining the magnificent things he did to her body. She never replayed the naughty little dalliances they had together.

Truth be told, their sex life, though very active – at least when they were 'really' dating – was more about _quantity_ rather than _quality_. In fact, Caroline had never really experienced a true, all-consuming, body-trembling, lip-quivering orgasm. With him or with anyone.

With all the random boys she had hooked up with throughout high school, it was awkward and quick and far from satisfying. With Damon, it was semi-passionate but was really more about _his_ release; it was never about _her _pleasure. With Matt, it was too innocent, too juvenile; he was always too much of a good boy to try anything even remotely exhilarating. With Tyler, it was more of a kiss, kiss, neck nibble, bam, over.

Now that she had been spending time with Klaus and she had been allowing her underlying feelings for him to seep into her consciousness, she couldn't help but wonder what _he _was like with regards to sex. Whether he would be passionate and attentive; slow and deliberate; rapid and goal-oriented; or possibly a mixture of everything, depending on his mood.

As the thoughts filled her head, she wrestled with her guilt. Technically, she was still with Tyler so thinking of anyone other than him felt wrong on some level and as Caroline's frustration level grew and her need for sleep was starting to gnaw at her insides, she knew she had to get some kind of release, so she willed her mind towards thoughts of her boyfriend.

Her lithe, feminine hands grazed over the small pieces of fabric that covered her skin until she found her aching core with her fingers. She tried conjuring thoughts of Tyler pleasuring her with his tongue but her mind refused to obey her. In actuality, she didn't even know what it felt like to have _anyone_ do that to her. She had never had the bliss of experiencing it.

Tyler was more of a taker so he never attempted it and Caroline knew that if she had even asked, he probably would have begrudgingly complied for about 10 seconds before going in for the 'kill'. He wasn't much for foreplay, unless of course _he_ was the one on the receiving end of it.

Caroline closed her eyes and tried desperately to think of him but whenever she would finally get her fantasy going, she would look down between her legs and instead of seeing Tyler's conjured visage she saw Klaus salaciously grinning back at her as he worked his magic with his tongue. She would close her eyes and curse her unruly imagination and after unsuccessfully trying to imagine a realistic scenario with Tyler - not Klaus - she just rolled onto her stomach in annoyance and eventually fell asleep.

XXXXX

_With her mind now weaving in the subconscious, Caroline couldn't stop her thoughts from drifting away from the realm of reality. Whether she wanted it to or not, her psyche was in charge of her now. _

_She felt a pair of strong, calloused hands run up her legs, grazing her skin with painfully gentle touches. Soft, full lips kissed a trail from her knee down her inner thigh and eventually to the strip of skin where her leg connected with her pelvis. A ghost of breath hovered over the apex of her thighs and then quickly diverted to the other leg to trail a mirror image of kisses in an agonizingly teasing manner. _

_She looked down to see the person bringing her so much torturous pleasure but he was buried underneath her blanket and, for some reason, she couldn't move her hands except to grasp at the bed sheets below her hips. _

_All of a sudden, the teasing stopped and she felt a pair of masculine fingers pull her panties to the side. Caroline whimpered and arched her back to give him better access to her trembling pussy. At the first gentle stroke of the flat of the unknown tongue, her breath hitched and a moan readily escaped her quivering, pink lips. Her hands, finally able to move, glided underneath the covers and ran through the unruly mop of hair on the person's head, as if keeping the person imprisoned between her legs until she finally got the relief that she so desperately needed. _

_Giving up all her inhibitions and no longer caring who was pleasuring her with so much experience and attention, she gave in to her body and enjoyed every lick, every kiss, every ministration that was happening to her pussy. The tongue masterfully traced around her clit, up and down her folds in slow then fast then slow motions then it delved purposefully into her core, tasting her arousal. As the lips cocooned entirely around her soft and moistened mound and sucked at the sensitive flesh, her body quaked and convulsed in the throes of orgasm. She rode it for what felt like forever until another came and another one and she bucked her hips, the nerves in her skin not able to take any more pleasure. She screamed into the darkness of her dream realm and shook violently until the strong pair of hands held her down to keep her from flailing off the bed._

_Shortly after the mind-blowing orgasms rushed through her body in waves of ecstasy, she felt the weight of her mystery person coast above her, floating over her body with soft kisses until his face popped up from under the covers. _

_"You taste so fucking good, love. Did you cum for me?"_

_"Klaus?!" _

Caroline woke immediately in a sweat, breathing heavily into the shadows of her room. She smiled to herself because the orgasm, though in her dreams, felt so real and so intensely satisfying. The guilt began to build again and she cursed her subconscious for taking her mind to a place she knew she could never come back from. Now that she had imagined Klaus and a hint of his prowess, there wasn't much that she could do to remove him from that area of her brain. He had taken residence in the dirty depths of her mind and he was going to be staying a while, she was sure of it.

XXXXX

As Caroline suffered from guilt and frustration on the other side of town, Klaus lay on his plush, king-sized bed content with what had happened, or _almost_ happened between them. They were about to kiss and she didn't stop him; she didn't even have an inkling of doubt hiding behind the bright blues of her eyes. No stifled whimper to stop him, no soft shove to create distance. On the contrary, she parted her lips for him, as if urging him to continue. After months of pursuing her, months of showing her the side of him that had the capacity to love, she was finally starting to crack.

Klaus was over a thousand years old, he was fully capable of living without sexual release and he had gone months - even years - without it, but this growing closeness with Caroline, the building tension between them, was creating a need in the pit of his stomach that was getting harder and harder for him to subdue.

Wrestling his mind from the naughty place it was about to wander to, he thought of what she must have been doing as she lay in her bed miles away from him. He wondered if she was sleeping soundly or was as awake as he was. He knew she must have been thinking about him. Her head must have been filled with thoughts of what was about to transpire between them just hours before. He hoped that she was happy about it, but he knew that, at the very least, she was probably grappling with the inner voices that were telling her that it was wrong.

He knew that she must have had growing feelings for him or, at the very least, a semblance of positive emotions when it came to their friendship but he always had the sense that she was holding herself back, building a wall between them so that her feelings would stay stagnant, always teetering between where she wanted them to go and what she thought was her moral obligation.

XXXXX

The next morning, after finally getting about 2 hours of sleep, Caroline got dressed and decided to head to the Mikaelson mansion to speak to Klaus. She didn't know if she wanted to admit that she wanted to kiss him or if she wanted him to pretend like nothing happened, all she knew was that she _had_ to speak to him. He had been infiltrating her thoughts the entire night and since she had no one else to talk to about their situation, she figured she could talk to him.

She pulled on her tightest pair of skinny jeans, a black sweater and a pair of black boots and headed out into the cold. The words and thoughts and ideas in her mind fought with each other, trying to gain the high ground as her confusion grew and she maneuvered her car around the streets of Mystic Falls. She was close to turning around at least 3 times on the drive over but she finally came to the conclusion that she had to toughen up and get whatever she needed to say out in the open.

Moments later and Caroline was standing alone in his drawing room. She sensed that he was home because the sweet, masculine, intoxicating scent of him filled the air, but he was not where she usually found him. She wandered through the expansive halls and rooms until she picked up a trail and followed it. The aroma led her upstairs and towards his bedroom and she soon found herself standing in front of the heavy, double doors suddenly unable to move.

As she contemplated turning on her heel and speeding out of there before she was noticed, Caroline was almost knocked to the floor as Klaus opened the doors to his room, clad in nothing but a towel wrapped around his taut waist. The water droplets left a tantalizing trail from his unruly, wet hair down his sinewy neck pooling in the curve of his collarbone and eventually dripping down his chiseled chest. It was as if Caroline watched one droplet move in slow motion, leaving a path that she wanted to follow with her tongue.

"Caroline, love. What are you doing here so early?" Klaus smirked, his eyebrow raised and a knowing glint his eye as he watched her vision slither over his bare torso. Every fiber of his being wanted to tease her about her blatant staring, but he decided against embarrassing her.

Still flabbergasted by the unobstructed view before her, Caroline shook her head and let out a weak response that she didn't register but hoped made sense. "Uh, morning, um, talk?"

Klaus laughed at her unintelligible response and motioned for her to enter his room and sit on a chaise lounge by the window as he went into his closet to change. As Caroline watched him leave, she cursed herself for being so damn obvious - and for staring at his round ass as he walked away. She knew for sure that a noticeable blush had permeated the milky white of her cheeks and an uncontrollable heaving was threatening to explode through her chest so she took several deep breaths, hoping to sedate herself.

A few minutes later, Klaus emerged fully clothed in one of his signature Henley's and a pair of dark jeans. "Would you like to join me for breakfast, love?"

Caroline merely nodded and followed him downstairs and into the kitchen where he poured her a glass of blood and rifled through the fridge for something to make them. She watched him quizzically. She had never seen him cook before or rummage through his fridge, for that matter. If she stayed for lunch or dinner, he always had some compelled chef do the cooking for them and they were never in the kitchen for longer than 5 minutes.

"Are you actually going to make me breakfast?" she couldn't help but question, a certain mocking in the tone of her voice.

"Are you making assumptions about my abilities in the kitchen, love?" he quipped, a pretend hurt plastered on his face.

"I don't know, I guess I just didn't take you as the cooking kind. Especially not for some girl that shows up unannounced at 7 in the morning."

"Well, I guess there is still much that you don't know about me, we'll have to remedy that. And… you aren't just some girl. In fact, the only other woman I have ever cooked for is Rebekah and that was once, like a million years ago." Klaus answered honestly, the usual cocky arrogance absent in his tone.

Caroline blushed at his statement, she knew he wasn't lying but she couldn't comprehend what made him admit to it. She couldn't understand how a girl like her, a girl that was always the _second_ choice, could possibly elicit such a feeling from someone as powerful as Klaus. For one of the very few times in her life, she felt truly and utterly special.

XXXXX

After a meal of crepes filled with crème anglaise and fresh berries and about an hour of idle chit-chat to avoid what they truly wanted to talk about, Klaus and Caroline found themselves at their first awkward silence of the day. She knew it was coming, he was going to ask her about the night before. The almost kiss. How she didn't stop him. She wanted to be honest with him but being honest with him meant that she was acknowledging her feelings, admitting that there was something there. Once she did that, there was no turning back. He would know how she felt and that scared her more than anything. For the time being, with him chasing after her, she had the upperhand. But, if he knew that she reciprocated those feelings, even in a minute kind of way, she feared for how he would take advantage of the situation.

He stood from his seat at the kitchen island and moved closer to her. "Caroline, are we going to talk about last night or would you prefer that we act like nothing happened?"

"Um… I don't know what to say." Caroline replied, fixating her gaze to the marble floor beneath her.

Klaus moved his body again, this time pressing himself against her, and he put his finger gently under her chin, tilting her head up so that their eyes would meet. "Don't you think we've moved beyond this point by now, love?"

"I wanted it to happen, okay? Is that what you want to hear?" Caroline finally admitted, defensive in her tenor.

Klaus just looked at her and didn't say a word. Silence filled the space between them again and the tension started to build.

Caroline looked away from him and whispered, almost so softly that it would have been inaudible had Klaus not been a hybrid. "I dreamt about you last night."

This piqued his interest as soon as the heard the words escape her lips. "What was I doing in this dream, love?"

Caroline blushed as the vivid but imagined events came rushing back into her mind. Klaus knew immediately that the dream must have been quite sensational so he smirked and gently grazed her cheek with his thumb, as if to somehow soothe her embarrassment.

"So, it was that kind of dream then? Tell me, love, did I pleasure you the way you _deserve_ to be pleasured?"

Without knowing what she was doing, Caroline moved her face up so that it was a few inches from his. She didn't want to talk anymore; she just wanted to feel his luscious lips on hers. His breath tickled her skin like it did the night before and her lips quaked, anticipating the contact that she had been longing to feel.

Just as the space that separated them was about to draw to a close, her phone beeped and she was instantly shaken from the sweet surrender she was finally allowing herself to experience. She pulled the infernal thing from her pocket and read the message, immediately looking at Klaus with an apologetic look on her face.

"Curse the gods! They must be trying to play some sort of evil joke on me!" Klaus growled, pressing his forehead to hers. "Just one kiss, dammit! I would rip the hearts from my entire hybrid army to feel your lips on mine right now."

Caroline blushed and placed a conciliatory hand on his chest. "I'm so sorry. It's Stefan, he said Elena is not doing well and she needs my help. She's spiraling or something. Rain check?"

As if knowing exactly what she was talking about with regards to Elena, he replied, coolly, "I'll go with you. I know _exactly_ what she is going through right now and yes, I _will_ hold you to that fucking rain check."

The sudden discombobulating of Klaus' normally collected and calculated manner made Caroline giggle a little on the inside. It was kind of adorable how agitated he was getting at the constant interruptions; he was like a child that wasn't getting his way.

"How do you know what she is going through?" she finally asked once she got her mind thinking again.

"I went through exactly what she is experiencing right now. She will definitely need my help because no one else will know how to help her. I'll explain in the car."

Still unaware of what was going on, with Elena or between her and Klaus, she hurriedly followed him and they made their way to Elena's as she texted Stefan with a warning that Klaus was coming with her.

**A/N:**

I'm so sorry I did another almost kiss, I just wanted to build up the tension between them…


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:**

Hey guys, as always, thanks for the positive feedback. Also, how funny is it that I put a little smut in and get a bunch more reviews. Hmmm, me thinks the Klaroline fandom has our collective minds in the gutter. Haha. Here's the next chapter, not too much Klaroline alone time in this one so sorry about that. But, I figured I had to put in a chapter or 2 with some other characters in it and this brings in a couple of other story lines that I needed to incorporate… Anyway, hope you like it and I hope it makes sense.

**Chapter 5:**

Elena had been in out and of consciousness for several days, ever since she had murdered Connor. She could hardly sleep and when she was awake, her hallucinations would take over. As such, she had quickly become a danger to not only the people around her but to herself as well. Without much of a recourse and no idea how to even start fixing her, Stefan and Damon locked her in the basement of their home and took turns watching over her.

With the situation escalating instead of getting better, they finally had to call in reinforcements. Jeremy and Bonnie were in charge of researching everything there was to find out about what could be happening to her so they were scouring grimoires until the wee hours of the morning, looking for anything that remotely resembled what was going on. Stefan called Caroline, knowing that she was the only other vampire strong enough to help should Elena turn violent and he figured a bit of estrogen was needed to soothe the situation.

30 minutes after Stefan's initial text to her and her subsequent reply, informing him that Klaus was coming along – which he figured he would just question later – Caroline and Klaus were in the Salvatore boarding house, ready to help.

"Klaus." Stefan said curtly as the the Original sauntered in behind Caroline. "Mind telling me why you decided to come along and _why_ you were with Caroline in the first place?" He shot a questioning look of disapproval at his blonde friend as she descended the staircase to the basement, averting her eyes from his inquisitive glare.

"Well, it's nice to see you too, mate." Klaus quipped, pausing. "I have an explanation to your first question but, as for the second inquiry, that's none of your business." he replied snidely, not exactly in the mood for Stefan's animosity, especially since he had interrupted them from sharing their intimate moment earlier in the morning.

"I happen to know exactly what she is going through, as I experienced it first hand right after I killed the original members of The Five." He paused for effect, letting his words sink into Stefan's head.

"She is having haunting and vivid hallucinations of Connor, is she not? Perhaps she has even hurt you or Damon or several other people?" Klaus continued.

"Yes." was all Stefan could supply to Klaus' eerily precise explanation.

"Well, dear Stefan. When one kills a hunter, one is left to suffer that hell as a punishment. You should know by now that witches tricks _always_ have a back-up."

"How did you stop them? How did things get better?"

"I didn't, mate. They just stopped on their own. I have no idea why, they just did."

"How long did it last? Will she be okay soon?"

"52 years, 4 months and 9 days. It was the only point in my entire existence that I felt time. It was agony, it was hell, and I wanted to end my life on more than a few occasions." Klaus answered honestly, his hands clasped behind his back as he walked further into the living room.

Stefan looked at the ground and ran his trembling fingers through his hair. "She won't even last through the next week." He mumbled in defeat. "If you don't have a cure, why did you come here?"

"To make sure that Elena doesn't do anything to harm herself. If we ever find this cure, I will still need her and contrary to what you might think, Stefan, I can actually be quite helpful."

XXXXX

Caroline entered the dark, dungeon-like quarters where Elena was being sequestered to find her visibly shaken and distraught friend sitting in between Damon's legs with her back rested on his chest and his arms around her. She sensed that the two had gotten close, maybe even closer than the connection her friend had with Stefan but she figured she wasn't one to judge, especially since what she had with Klaus was definitely moving in the same direction.

"'Lena, god, is there anything I can do?" Caroline said as she sat adjacent to the whimpering brunette and stroked her knee to soothe her.

"I don't know, Care! I just want this all to end. I… can't take this anymore." Elena cried out, weeping and sobbing uncontrollably. "I stabbed Jeremy in the neck, I staked Stefan, everyone looks like Connor to me and he is haunting me constantly, I just want him to go away."

Damon stood and quietly left the 2 girls alone. He hoped that some soothing, feminine aura would help the situation a little. Maybe Caroline could ease Elena's mind. He closed the heavily-barred door behind him and proceeded to go upstairs as his phone began to ring.

"Bonnie, did you find anything yet?" he asked the witch on the other line.

"No. Not one thing. But… I think I can get some answers from Shane. Jer and I are headed there now. I will call you as soon as I find out. How is she doing?"

"Not good. She is still hallucinating and is picturing everyone, except me for some reason, as Connor. It's not safe. But Caroline is here, maybe she can calm her down a little, even if it's just for a little while." Damon answered, defeated and tired.

"Ok, well, I will try to make this quick. Keep your phone handy."

Damon got to the top of the stairs just as their phone call ended and he was greeted by a grinning Klaus, lounging on one of their couches.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Damon snidely commented.

"He came to check on Elena. Apparently, he suffered the same thing after he killed the original Five. _Also, he came with Caroline_." Stefan answered for him, making sure to intonate the last sentence so Damon realized just how weird that was to him.

Damon cocked an eyebrow and shrugged, he didn't really care what the blonde baby-vamp did with her spare time but he finally realized why Klaus had been such a no show lately. He slumped onto a chair and put his fingers to his temples, rubbing circles to appease his aching head.

"Bonnie called. Nothing in the grimoires. She is going to see this Professor Shane character. Hopefully he'll know what to do."

Just as the three men were about to start planning what their next course of action was, a shrill scream came from the basement and roused them all from their line of thoughts. They sped downstairs with Stefan leading the way and they came to a stop, finding Caroline wilted against the outside of the door.

"I'm sorry. She attacked me so I… kind of cracked her neck. She'll be sleeping for a little bit." She explained.

Klaus let out a laugh. No one messed with Caroline. She didn't take shit from anyone. It was one of the things he_ loved_ about her so much. Stefan glared at him judgingly and Damon couldn't help laughing with him, realizing that it was the first time they were able to get Elena to actually rest. Granted, she was now unconscious, but it was better then the hell she was going through when she was awake.

"Well, that's one way of doing it, I guess." Damon laughed, pulling Caroline up to her feet. "I'll stay down here until she wakes up." He continued.

Stefan and Caroline made their way back upstairs and Klaus, sensing that Stefan required a little explanation from her, decided to stay behind so they could talk.

XXXXX

"So…" Stefan started to say as they settled into the large living room. "Were you going to explain to me why you were with Klaus this morning?"

"Um… I don't want to talk about it, Stefan." Caroline replied, knowing that that conversation would go one of two ways: he would jump to conclusions and judge her or he would be irate and judge her. Either way, she didn't feel like telling him anything.

"Care, we're friends. I don't want to see you get hurt and I am just looking out for you. Come on, you can tell me anything. I've kind of wanted to tell you something too, but you haven't been around so I haven't had a chance. I don't know if it matters but it's something you should know about."

"What do you want to tell me?" Caroline asked curiously.

"Nuh huh. We were talking about you first. Don't attempt to change the subject."

"Ok, fine, but can we go somewhere that is _not_ within earshot of vampire or hybrid ultra-hearing?"

Stefan stood and guided her to the gardens outside his home and when they were far enough away, he turned to her with his eyebrow up. "Well?"

Caroline took in a deep breath and said, "Ok… so, at first, it started as another one of those 'let's distract Klaus with the usual bait of choice' thing. I would hang out with him and then report back to Tyler about what happened. Then, we started spending more and more time together and I was starting to forget my original reason for seeing him. Then, eventually, I wasn't even giving Tyler updates anymore, or even talking to Tyler. Then, he started being really sweet and I started getting interested in his stories and his life adn we were actually getting to know each other. Then, we almost _kissed _but we were interrupted by my mom returning home. Then, I dreamt about him that night and it was totally steamy and then, this morning, right when you called, we were about to kiss again. But, _obviously_, you ruined that! And I don't know why I am feeling things for him but I feel guilty because technically I'm still with Tyler, but honestly, I think I _really_ feel guilty because Klaus has no idea about Tyler's stupid plan and I feel like I'm lying to him. I care about him. I actually can't get him out of my head." Caroline rambled on like the squeaking teenage girl she no longer resembled, barely stopping to take a breath or collect her thoughts. The words flowed out of her mouth like word-vomit and when she was done, she felt like a weight lifted off her shoulders and she could breathe a sigh of relief. She finally told someone of her predicament and it felt heavenly.

Stefan just looked at her flabbergasted. He heard everything she said but he couldn't comprehend the fact that she just admitted to having feelings for _Klaus_. He shook his head and finally spoke, once he was able to collect his thoughts and retrieve his jaw from the ground. "Okay, we'll get to the part about you having feelings for him later. But, what plan? What's going on with Tyler?"

Caroline explained everything about Tyler and Hayley and the sire-bond breaking situation and Stefan's face turned from confused to angry.

"Why are you letting him use you like that, Care? This is dangerous and stupid and I want to rip his head off for even suggesting that you put yourself in this situation! If he is your boyfriend and if he truly cared for you, putting you in harms way shouldn't even have been an option. He is basically whoring you out because he knows that Klaus is enamored by you." Stefan yelled, unable to control the anger he was feeling.

"I can handle myself, Stefan. Weren't you the one who taught me everything I know about being a vampire?"

"Yes, but if Klaus finds out that you were tricking him this whole time, heads will roll. Your head, Tyler's head, Hayley's head. Shit. It may be the entire town. You may have developed feelings for him along the way but that doesn't mean he'll believe you if he finds out about this."

Caroline looked down at her feet, knowing that what she was doing was, indeed, dangerous. "He would never hurt me, Stefan." She said quietly.

"Oh my god! You really do have feelings for him. Wow... this is… surreal."

"Ok, mister! I told you what was happening, against my better judgment. I knew you were going to be judgey about it but I told you anyway. Now be my friend because I really _need_ one right now." Caroline huffed. "Anyway, what were you going to tell me?"

"Ok, I'm sorry. I can see that he has feelings for you too - as weird as that is to say - I honestly think he does. But, anyway, I've seen something that you should probably know about. I didn't tell you about it before because I thought you had broken up but…" He paused and Caroline just looked at him questioningly. "Tyler and Hayley, I mean, since they are conspiring against Klaus I can understand that they are together all the time but… I saw them kissing. On more than one occasion. And, seeing as you're technically still together…"

"That fucking liar!" Caroline screamed. All the guilt she was feeling because of her building feelings for Klaus were gnawing at her from the inside and, as it turns out, her boyfriend, who was using her the whole time, was the one cheating on her. She wanted to rip his heart from his chest and give it to Hayley in a neatly wrapped box, right after she beat the bitch to a pulp. It wasn't even that she was jealous, it was more like she felt so utterly and incredibly betrayed. If Tyler wanted to be with that wolf-slut, then he could do whatever he wanted, but to lie to her face and use her at the same time, that was unacceptable.

"There you two are." Damon called as he sauntered out towards them. "What the hell is going on?"

"Nothing!" Caroline yelled as she stomped past him and into the house.

"I take it you told her about that dirty dog she calls a boyfriend? Or ex? Whatever. Anyway, Bonnie said that the only way to stop the hallucinations is if another hunter takes Connors place."

"How the hell are we supposed to make that happen, Damon?"

"Well, apparently, young Mr. Gilbert had the ability to see Connor's hunter's mark and that means that he is possibly the next chosen one."

"Ok, well, if he is, why haven't the hallucinations stopped?"

"If you let me finish talking, maybe you will find out. God, Stefan, you are incorrigible. Anyway, he needs to kill a vampire and it will all be official. So… let's go find one and get it done."

XXXXX

"We need Jeremy to do what?" Caroline squealed. She had known him since he was a baby and the thought of putting him into the situation made her stomach hurt.

"It's the only way, Caroline. We don't have another potential hunter and we wouldn't even know where to find one." Damon replied.

"Okay, so where are we supposed to find a vampire to sacrifice, hmm? You want to pick from the line of willing participants forming outside your house? Should I call them in for interviews?" Caroline mocked.

"I may be able to help with that." Klaus weighed in, after being silent the entire time, just watching them bicker and squabble amongst each other.

All three of them turned to him.

"I don't know if you remember but I happen to have an army of hybrids to do my bidding, I could give one up for this exact purpose."

"Klaus, we all know that you are selfish when it comes to your hybrids, why would you _ever_ do that?" Stefan questioned, not believing his words.

"I would be more than willing to, actually." Klaus replied.

"For what? Our undying and eternal servitude?" Damon responded his voice laced in sarcasm.

"No, I don't need anything from _you_ or Stefan. The terms of my deal are to be agreed upon between me and fair Caroline." Klaus replied, motioning to the blonde in between them.

Stefan knew exactly what was going on but Damon looked confused and irritated. "Ok, no idea what you are talking about but can you go and get that over with so we can take care of this and call it a day, please?"

Klaus and Caroline headed outside and were back within a few minutes. "Chris will be here shortly, I suggest you inform Jeremy of what he needs to do."

Bonnie and Jeremy arrived a few moments later and he was instantly coached on what needed to be done. Hybrids had to have their heads chopped off in order to die so he needed to take the axe they gave him and make a clean, fast swipe for the neck right as Chris entered the house.

"Are you sure you can do this Jer?" Bonnie asked him, squeezing his hand to appease any worry he might have had.

"Yeah, I'm sure. I've wanted to be a part of this for the longest time, this is finally my chance to show I can do something." Jeremy replied, knowing that this was his oppurtunity to show Damon and Stefan that they could trust him. To show them that he was no longer some lowly, little kid that everyone had to safegaurd from impending supernatural dangers.

"You can do this, Jeremy. Fast, precise, do not falter and do not grew a conscience midway through it." Damon reminded him.

With just enought time to get Jeremy situated to the side of the front door, Chris rang the doorbell, completely unaware of the fate that was about to befall him. He was actually one of Klaus' hybrids that was no longer held under the sire-bond but he stuck around so Klaus wouldn't become suspicious of Tyler's plans. If only Tyler knew that he was about to lose one of his allies.

The minute the door opened and Chris walked in, his head rolled across the floor and his hulking, lifeless body crashed down with a thud, blood gushing from the severed neck and spilling to a pool on the rug. Bonnie averted her eyes the entire time but everyone else stood in awe of what had just happened. It seemed as though Jeremy certainly was made for this vampire hunting thing.

He stood above his first kill, slightly shaken but visibly proud of his achievement, happy to accomplish the first important assignment that he was given by the group. He dropped the bloodied axe to the ground and looked at his right hand as it started to fill with an intricate and archaic-looking pattern as everyone stood around him shocked at how easy he had made the kill look.

"Jer, are you ok?" Bonnie and Caroline asked as Damon and Stefan made their way downstairs to check on Elena, patting him on the back in approval as they passed him.

"Yeah, actually I feel better than ok. I feel… exhilarated."

Klaus liked the boy's newfound confidence and strength, something about him had definitely changed, he made a mental note of this, in case he ever needed him in the future. "Well, mate, good job. Do you want to help me get rid of this body?"

XXXXX

The next day, after everyone was consoled to the fact that Elena was going to be fine and they all retired to finally get some rest, Caroline woke to find that she had slept the entire night at the Salvatore boarding house. Everyone was camped out in the living room. Bodies splayed everywhere, looking exhausted.

Bonnie and Jeremy were snuggled in a blanket on the floor. Damon, Elena and Stefan were in a weird sandwich on the couch across from where she had slept and Klaus was nowhere to be found.

"Typical" Caroline breathed quietly into the air as she looked at the threesome in front of her. She stretched her arms above her head and stood up to get some sustenance in her weary body. As she moved the blankets away from her, a small piece of paper fell to the floor, calling her attention. She picked it up and opened it. It was another drawing from Klaus, this time it was of her sleeping quietly on the couch, he made her look serene and beautiful even though she knew that, in reality, she must have looked more haggard and disheveled. Below the picture was one of his signature notes in his perfect hand writing.

_I'm looking forward to our date. I will pick you up at 6:00. Klaus._

She didn't forget their agreement. He willingly relinquished one of his precious hybrids for _one_ date with her. One evening to show her a side of himself that she had yet been privy to. At first, Caroline argued that, since they were attending the Miss Mystic Falls pageant together, that could be considered a date but Klaus immediately vetoed that, telling her that she wasn't going to get off so easily. So, after hashing out the details and boundaries of what constituted a 'date', Klaus called Chris, he got murdered and the rest is history. Now Caroline had to pay up, Klaus had committed to his side of the deal. It was her turn.

This time, there was no confusing her emotions. She was truly and unequivocally excited. She had no idea what he had planned but, knowing Klaus and his penchant for the dramatic and his unlimited resources, it was going to be spectacular.

**A/N:**

So, what did you guys think? I had to put in the fact that Caroline agreed to go on a date with Klaus in exchange for one of his hybrids. I loved that when I saw 04x06, although I hated that they didn't show it. Anyway... the next chapter will be about that date so I will try to update soon. They are actually having a date. I think in the show they will probably count the pagaent as the date, but in my mind, Klaus does something extraordinary for her.

Also, I know that some people that ship klaroline may like Tyler, but I am not one of those people so I am painting him as I see him. To me, from the first season onwards he was a douche and even if he may have matured as the show progressed, his douchey side is still there. It was pretty evident in the scene when he threw the bottle by Caroline's head. So, I hope I don't offend anyone that actually likes him. It's just that I don't so I am not going to make him out to be some good guy with no agenda.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:**

Hey guys, as always the positive feedback and response is much appreciated. Since this is my first time posting any of my writing on fanfiction, I wasn't sure what to expect but as long as I am not being lambasted with negative comments, I am happy. So thanks again!

Anyway, this is the chapter with the first part of their date. I originally had it in one long chapter but had to separate it into 2 parts because there was just too much that I had to put in :)

I hope I do this justice because, really, there are so many awesome ways for this to go, I just hope you guys like the way I interpreted it.

**Chapter 6:**

Caroline left the Salvatore boarding house as everyone still slept soundly after their long day filled with Elena's hallucinations, Jeremy's first hybrid killing and the obligatory angst-ridden conversations that followed. She had forgotten that she had arrived there the day before in Klaus' SUV so she had to walk home but it gave her time to assess how she was going to handle the whole date thing.

Truth be told, she was more than excited about it. She was actually looking forward to it. A proper date with _Klaus_. It seemed surreal to even utter the words within the safe confines of her head but it was happening and instead of sullenly awaiting it, like she thought she would had he asked her a few months ago, she was thrilled. Genuinely and unabashedly _thrilled_.

Caroline spent the rest of the early part of the day shopping for the perfect outfit and getting a mani-pedi at the only acceptable spa in town. She had to look and feel her best, especially since she still had no idea what was going to happen that night or where Klaus was even taking her. The only detail he gave her was a time that he would be picking her up. Other than that little nugget of information, she didn't know what else he had planned.

Not knowing how to dress for the evening, she decided on a pair of skinny, black pants; an embroidered, sequined, gray camisole that showed just enough of her ample cleavage to entice but not scandalize and a form-fitting, white blazer to class it all up. The _'Pièce de résistance' _to her ensemble were a pair of smoking hot, red pumps that just screamed 'sex!' Caroline's subconcious wanted her to be obvious but she just wanted to look good. _Or so she tried to convince herself._

Thinking about her outfit as a precious, little, middle-aged lady painted her toenails; she wondered if she going a little too vamp - pun intended - that night. What if Klaus took it the wrong way and assumed she wanted to ravage him? _Which she did, but that was beside the point_. What if he thought she was trying too hard? What if she let all her inhibitions fly into the wind the minute she saw him? She shrugged off the incessant doubt and decided to, first and foremost, have fun. She hadn't had real fun in ages and it was long overdue.

Knowing that Tyler was a lying, cheating, douchey son of a bitch; she was free and able to do whatever she wanted that night. She didn't have to stick to his stupid plan anymore and she didn't have to report to him about what was going on with Klaus. She could actually spend the evening in his company enjoying herself without any ulterior motives or hidden agenda.

Then it hit her: if she wanted to start their _relationship_ (?) off on the right foot, she would have to be honest with him about the whole thing. She would have to tell him about the plan. About how she was initially just spending time with him as a distractionary measure. But how, after each conversation and time spent with him, her feelings for him grew exponentially.

After months of supressing her feelings for him and keeping them buried under layers and layers of denial, she had finally admitted to herself that they were there and they were real and they were not going anywhere. Her initial disdain for him melted quickly and was replaced by a sense of admiration and enamorement.

To everyone else; Klaus Mikaelson was an evil, manipulative, mass-murdering, scheming Hybrid who's every action and intention was tethered to a masterplan that only furthered his agenda. To Caroline, who really was the only person privy to the side he deliberately kept hidden, he was sensitive and creative and sweet and honest.

Caroline knew and didn't discount or deny the things he was capable of but she also knew that he only projected and acted on his evil side as a means of defense. He had spent the better part of a thousand years escaping death at the hands of the man who raised him; never being loved, never being accepted, always fearing rejection and always feeling alone.

All that emotional and psychological trauma, even to a being as powerful as Klaus, was what led him to do everything he had done. He completed the transition to become a hybrid as a means of self-preservation. He created a sired hybrid army so that he would never be alone. He staked his family and kept them in boxes so that they would always be with him, they would never leave his side, they would always be safe under his watch.

XXXXX

As Caroline got ready on the other side of town, Klaus finalized the details for the evening, making sure that all his plans would fall into place perfectly. He had put the wheels in motion for his first date with Caroline over a month prior, just on the off chance she would put her guard down and actually agree to it.

If Klaus was being perfectly honest, he didn't fully comprehend the feelings he had for Caroline or why they existed in his psyche. He didn't know if it was because he no longer had threats to his existence or because he was free to stay in one place for a long period of time or if it was because she was so utterly magnetic that he couldn't help but fall for her. It may have been a combination of all three of those factors but the one thing he was sure of was that he did have feelings for her. Of all the people that had been part of his life in one way or another, she was the first one to stand up to him without fear and the first one he didn't want to murder for doing so.

It was not like him to wear his heart on his sleeve or lay himself bare for _anyone_ to see what he had hidden underneath. But, with Caroline, that came naturally. It flowed from him unhindered. Against his better judgment, which usually erred on the side of his survival, he let her in, let her see the side of himself that he used to deem weak and unacceptable. He was falling for her and for once in his thousand years of walking the earth, he just wanted to let go and let himself fall.

XXXXX

By 10 to 6:00, Caroline was putting on her shoes and jewelry, patting down her clothes and fidgeting in nervous anticipation. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and stood in front of the mirror, bracing herself for the criticism she was about to give herself. She opened one eye slowly and then the other and her jaw almost dropped between her red pumps at the sight reflecting back at her.

For the first time in her life, she felt completely confident and powerful, she was aghast by the vision that stood before her. She looked stunning and the usually insecure voice in her head kept quiet for once. She flipped her hair over her shoulder and admired herself for a moment before uttering a whispered "damn."

She left a note for her mother and waited in the living room for Klaus to arrive. Any lingering doubts that she had in her mind or questions that festered in the back of her head dissipated into the air and she just sat there content, prepared and relaxed.

Punctual, like the gentleman that he was when he was around her, the doorbell rang at exactly 6:00 and Caroline sauntered over to the front door, taking one last deep breath before diving in head first into their evening together.

"Good eve…" Klaus started to say before he lost all ability to speak.

"Good evening, Klaus." Caroline replied confidently as she stood in her door way.

"Forgive me for staring, love, but you look absolutely, for lack of a better word, scrumptious." Klaus finally uttered, the poise returning to his tone.

He put out the crook of his arm for her to hold on to and led her to his car, opening the passenger side door of his white Range Rover for her and closing it gently as she made herself comfortable. He retrieved a small box from the back of the car and handed it to her, motioning for her to open it.

"What is this?" Caroline questioned, pulling out the satin eye-cover. "Um, a little early for kink, don't you think?" she continued as she raised her perfectly plucked eyebrow.

"No, love, never on a _first _date." Klaus replied, smirking. "You will need to put that on in about 15 minutes because I don't want you to see where we are going."

"I think that's what serial killers say before they drive their victims to their secluded torture chambers." Caroline quipped.

"You really think I'd do that to you on our first date, love? Do you think that low of me?"

Caroline instinctively rubbed his arm and replied, "Actually, no. I don't."

"Ok, good. You can trust me. I just want this to be a surprise."

XXXXX

Caroline relaxed back into the comfort of the soft, leather seat. They spent the next 15 minutes talking and before they knew it, they were approaching their destination and Klaus instructed her to put the eye-cover on. She complied and sat with anticipation as he drove a little more and then eventually parked and made his way to her side of the car. Though her old self would have been very nervous at this point, she was as cool as a cucumber just eager to finally figure out where he had taken her.

The door opened and Klaus led her out by her hand. Making sure to hold her tight by the waist so she didn't trip in her impossibly high and impossibly sexy heels. Caroline clutched firm to his arm and softly rested her cheek against him. She was soon led up a short flight of stairs as a loud sound infiltrated her ears and a gushing wind threatened to blow them over.

Still clutching tightly to Klaus, he gently sat her down on another soft, leather seat and she felt his hands move up towards her face, slowly pulling off the strip of fabric from her eyes.

Caroline looked all around her and couldn't believe she was sitting in a magnificent, private plane. "Oh my god! You aren't taking me to Rome, Paris or Tokyo, are you?" she questioned, squealing in delight.

"You remember that?" Klaus smiled, his dead heart fluttering a little against the hollows of his chest. He was sure, after the way she talked to him that night, that she would have forgotten by the next day.

"Yes, I do." Caroline replied as answered him honestly and coquettishly looked at him through her eyelashes.

"Actually, love, seeing as we only have a night for this date and not a few days, I am taking you to New York City. I hope that will suffice, _for now_?" Klaus answered her question. "The invitation to those places, or anywhere else that you want, is still on the table though. Whenever you are ready." He added, making sure Caroline knew that he would have been more than happy to give her the world.

Caroline jumped up and down a little in her seat and without thinking, threw her arms around him in a tight embrace. She had always wanted to go to New York. To have dinner in some fancy restaurant with tiny servings and watch some upper class thing at the Met and see the skyscrapers and be surrounded by the throngs of city folk that rushed past her.

She slowly pulled away from the hug and their foreheads pressed together, their breaths dancing on each other's lips. Caroline slowly moved her face closer and Klaus put his hands put to cup her cheeks. "Caroline" he whispered. "As much as I would love to, I have a lot planned tonight and if we do that now, I'm afraid I won't want to do anything besides ravage you for the rest of the evening."

Caroline pulled away and nodded. She ought to have felt rebuffed but she understood what he meant. She knew that he must have spent a great deal of time and money on this evening and she knew that he wanted nothing more than to impress her so she pushed her embarrassment to the side and smiled. "You're right. Plenty of time for that _later_." She said, shooting him a suggestive look.

"So… we can do that later?" Klaus quipped, a salacious grin forming on his lips.

Caroline playfully slapped him and sat back in her seat as the plane took off.

XXXXX

"Are you hungry right now?" Klaus asked.

"Actually, not really. I can wait."

"Good, because we won't be having dinner for another few hours. We are going to MOMA first."

"MOMA?" Caroline questioned.

"Yes, the MetropolitanMuseum of Art. They are having a Gala to celebrate art and culture in society. I hope you will enjoy it. If you don't we can leave as soon as you say the word."

Caroline held his hand and squeezed it in reassurance. "I'm sure I will love it!"

She knew she would. Since spending time with him, she had really developed a love for art. He had schooled her on the different styles of art and, though she was no expert and hadn't seen any great pieces in person, aside from what was in Klaus' home, she was well versed on the subject. She knew her Monet from her Renoir, her Picasso from her Chagall, her Kirchner from her Kandinsky.

"I just thought of something though, I can't wear this to a gala. Aren't you supposed to be dressed up for that sort of thing? You should have told me!"

"And spoil the surprise? Never! Look behind you." Klaus replied, assuredly.

Caroline craned her neck around the chair and saw a rack of different gowns in the back area of the cabin. She squealed and jumped up, rushing over to the gorgeous clothes. Klaus followed closely behind her, happy to see the genuine glee in her face as she surveyed the dresses.

Caroline grazed her slender fingers over the expensive fabrics and noticed the labels. Chanel, Gucci, Lanvin, Balenciaga, Lhuillier. Never in a million years would Caroline have even imagined pining over these beautiful dresses, let alone wear one of them.

"Klaus! I can't accept one of these dresses. They are worth more then everything I own, combined!"

"Nonsense, love. You can and will accept them. Because you deserve them. I will be deeply offended if you make me take them back." He replied, placing a hand on his heart as if to signify his mock-hurt had she not accepted.

"Wait! Them? As in, _all of them_?"

"Yes. I didn't know which one you would like so I bought them all."

Caroline hugged him for the second time that night. _She had a feeling she was going to be doing that a lot more of that as the evening progressed._ She initially felt guilty accepting such expensive gifts and she was more of the independent type that didn't like to be 'bought' but she couldn't contain her excitement and seeing how happy Klaus' was to give her the luxurious pieces of clothing, she _had_ to accept. It would have been _rude_ not to, she rationalized.

"I'll wait in the back room as you change. We should be in New York soon, not a very long flight."

"Thank you!" Caroline squealed again. She felt like a princess, like she was in some kind of fairy tale or something. Things like this just didn't happen to her. She had no idea what to expect of this date but barely an hour into it and she was already taken aback by how far he had gone to please and surprise her.

She finally decided on a black, sequined, bustier gown by Monique Lhuiller that hugged perfectly at her curves and accentuated her best features perfectly. She still didn't know how Klaus seemed to pick the perfect sizes but he did. She paired the dress with a simple pair of strappy Louboutin heels, gushing as she slipped them on her feet. It was the first time she even saw a real pair of the costly, sought-after shoes and to actually be wearing them was incredible.

After assessing her look in a mirror and approving of what she saw, she knocked on the door to the room Klaus was in, letting him know that she was decent. He emerged shortly after, looking dapper in a well-tailored suit.

"You look breath taking, love."

"Thank you, you don't look too bad yourself." Caroline replied as they sat back down and prepared to land.

XXXXX

About 45 minutes later and they arrived at the museum. Klaus held out his arm and Caroline wrapped her hand around it as he led her in through the front doors. There were hundreds of people littering the expanse of the building, all dressed to the nines and looking intimidatingly sophisticated. She suddenly felt a pang of discomfort in the pit of her stomach. What was she supposed to talk to all these cultured, worldly people about?

"What if people want to talk to me? I won't have anything to say to them." She confided to him in a whisper.

"Nonsense, love. If you've been listening at all to me ramble on about art over the past few months, you will have plenty to converse with these people about. Don't worry you'll shine no matter what you say." He whispered back, the breath and sweetness of his words sending a shiver up her spine.

"Niklaus Mikaelson!" A booming voice sounded from behind them.

"Klaus!" Klaus replied, holding out his arms and hugging the middle-aged man before them.

"Caroline, this is Klaus Biesenbach, he is the Director and Chief Curator here. Klaus, this is Caroline, my date." He introduced them.

The older Klaus took Caroline's hand and gave it a chaste kiss. "A pleasure to meet you, dear. I see Niklaus' taste in art is only dwarfed by his taste in women." He said in his German-accented voice.

Caroline blushed, he was certainly charming. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well and thank you." She replied, disbelieving that she could keep her poise and composure in the presence of two very powerful and intimidating men.

"I apologize, but I must depart your company, I have several things to attend to tonight." The older gentleman excused himself before retreating into a crowd.

"He seems to know you well." Caroline said.

"I am a benefactor here. Have been for a few years now. We have become friends." Klaus replied.

They walked around the different areas and galleries of the museum and made small talk with several groups of people as they sipped champagne. Caroline's initial nervousness had long since melted away and she actually felt quite comfortable in the presence of all these people that had a wealth more knowledge then she did. She fit in quite well, but it did help that everyone seemed to know and _love_ Klaus. It was as if he was the honorary guest to the event or something. She was starting to see another side to him that she didn't even know existed.

XXXXX

"May I have everyone's attention please?" came the German Klaus' distinctive voice from somewhere in the gallery everyone had gathered in. "We here at the Metropolitan Museum of Art are very pleased and delighted to welcome you to tonight's event. We have acquired quite an ample new collection of art from a very generous benefactor. He not only made it monetarily possible to add these pieces to our museum, but he has given us a very special piece of his own work as well. Please put your hands together for the very generous and immensely talented, Mr. Niklaus Mikaelson."

The spotlight shone on Klaus and Caroline and he graciously held up his champagne flute in the air as the large group of people lauded him with praise. No wonder they all seemed to love him, he _was _the special guest tonight. He didn't tell her anything about it prior to arriving but it made her happy to know that he wanted her with him to experience a moment in his life that was undoubtedly very important and special.

She moved her hand from the crook of his arm down to his hand and squeezed it to convey how proud she was of his little shining moment. He squeezed back and it was as if they had cemented something about their relationship at that moment, with the spotlight shining on them and the crowd applauding. Though that had nothing to do with them as a couple, Caroline almost thought it was perfectly befitting.

After speaking to more people and surveying all the art he had donated to the museum, they finally arrived at a gigantic piece hanging on the wall in the middle of the room. It was taller than Klaus and about as wide as a car. The entire canvas was splayed with vivid, lucid colors and a seductive female form was gracefully placed in the middle of it, standing out from the brightness surrounding her despite the relative lightness of the way she was painted.

It was beautiful and haunting and, in a weird way, _familiar_. It was as if he had embodied the personality of a person in the painting and it took Caroline's breath away when she finally realized who the subject of the painting was. She moved away from him to look at the small plaque beside it and the confirmation stared her right in the face.

Title: Caroline

Artist: Niklaus Mikaelson

Medium: Oil on Canvas

Once again, he had completely shocked her. For the third time that night, she hugged him. This time it wasn't an instinctive impulse to something he had said or done, it was deliberate. She wanted to feel his body against hers, she wanted to hold him to her, to make him feel the warmth he had elicited in her heart by his gesture.

Despite being surrounded by people, it felt like they were alone in that large, white gallery. To Caroline, it seemed as if everyone around them magically disappeared into thin air and it was just her and Klaus, wrapped in each other's arms with his beautiful and passion-filled painting of her serving as a background. The emotions rushed through her and took over all consciousness and before she knew it her face was moving towards his and their lips met in the sweetest, most tender, and most knee-buckling kiss she had ever experienced in her life.

… TO BE CONTINUED.

**A/N:**

Hoped you liked the first part of their epic first date. I know it is totally fluffy but, come on, it is a first date between Klaus and Caroline, I had to make it fluffy. I hope I was able to create a realistic dynamic between them and was able to illustrate how Caroline had finally let her feelings for him into her heart.

How did you all feel about the first kiss? I finally put it in there, it's not super passionate and panty dropping but I think it fit with the scenario. And I kind of wanted it to be sweet and honest.

How do you guys feel about him taking her to New York? I felt it was more realistic than taking her halfway around the world on a first date. Which I originally wanted to do. Plus, I love love love New York. Who doesn't?

I also hope you guys enjoyed how I made Caroline appreciate art, since it is so important to Klaus and is actually a huge part of his character, I thought it would be something that they could share and enjoy together.

Again, hint hint, reviews and feedback are like chicken soup to my little shipper heart. I just want to know if I am going in the right direction or not. Thanks! Also, sorry for the long-winded A/N…


End file.
